


One Step Forward

by icandrawamoth



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types
Genre: Advice, Friendship, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-18
Updated: 2018-04-18
Packaged: 2019-04-24 11:43:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14354754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icandrawamoth/pseuds/icandrawamoth
Summary: "Now, I'm going to go sit with my friends. If you want to join us, you're welcome to. We're glad to have you be one of us, if that's what you want, Tycho.” Then Wes is picking up his tray and walking away.





	One Step Forward

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hippydeath](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hippydeath/gifts).



> Hippydeath picked the first line of dialogue from a Tumblr prompt list. <3 Also inspired by the therapist!Wes scene from Solo Command.

“I’m pretty sure I’ve aged ten years since meeting you.”

Tycho looks up with a frown as Wes Janson sits down across from him in the mess and immediately goes to work on his food. “What are you talking about?”

“You,” Wes answers, gesturing at Tycho with his fork like that actually clarifies anything. “You're just so sad all the time. It makes me tired.”

Tycho's mouth drops open, but before he can snap back, his squadmate goes on.

“I know you're been through some shit. We all have. Maybe yours is worse. You haven't said. You don't talk to us, and that doesn't help either.”

“Not everyone seems to want to talk to me,” Tycho grumbles, clutching onto that thread of conversation to avoid thinking about his 'shit.'

Wes rolls his eyes. “Forget Wedge, that guy's got issues of his own. Don't think I'm not giving him crap on the side, too. But listen.” Wes puts his fork down and folds his hands together as if he's about to impart some kind of life-changing advice.

Tycho finds himself sitting up straighter, curious.

“So you've got some bad experiences behind you,” Wes says, gaze steady. “So do I. So does Wedge. Luke. Hobbie. Everyone here has a sob story. And it's not to belittle anyone, but you have to get over it. If you're going to keep going, you have to actually do that. You have to concentrate on what's here and now and actually _live_ – stop moping and living in the past and concentrating on that pain. Do you understand?”

Tycho chews his lip. He wants to ask what's in Wes's past that could possibly be as bad as the things Tycho himself has lost – _everything_ – but being unwilling to explain his own pain, he won't press.

Wes glances across the room, and Tycho follows his gaze to see the rest of the squadron at another table watching them. Tycho's cheeks heat; he feels suddenly even more judged than before.

“Anyway,” Wes says as he turns back. “I just wanted to tell you that. Now, I'm going to go sit with my friends. If you want to join us, you're welcome to. We're glad to have you be one of us, if that's what you want, Tycho.” Then he's picking up his tray and walking away.

Tycho watches him leave, a curious twisting sensation in his gut. Wes sits down with the others and says something Tycho can't hear that gets a laugh from the rest of his table. Tycho stares down at his rations and thinks of everything he's lost. His home. His family. His future. He closes his eyes for a long moment.

Wes is right. Part of him knows that. But it's _hard_ to move on. It's not so easy to just forget about everything he's gone through, to put it behind him and start a new life, let new people in, let them mean as much as what he used to have.

Tycho lets out a shuddering breath, opens his eyes again. Maybe that's not what Wes means, he realizes. Maybe he doesn't have to do it all at once. Maybe...maybe he can try. Maybe he can take one step forward.

Heart thumping, Tycho stands and lifts his tray. He crosses the mess a step at a time and smiles tentatively at the rest of his squadron when they look up at him. “Mind if I join you?” he hears himself ask.

Wes gestures easily to the empty seat next to him. “Thought you never would.”

Around him are other smiling faces, sharing greetings as Tycho sits among them.

“Wes was just trying to convince us all to sneak out to the hot springs after dark,” Luke says conspiratorially.

“And some of us were trying to talk sense into him.” Hobbie's voice is dour.

Tycho lets himself smile. “I think that sounds like fun.” He glances at Wes. “I'm in.”

Wes's grin is infectious as he throws an arm around Tycho's shoulders. “Welcome to the dark side, my friend.”


End file.
